BDA: downloads and Blu-ray can co-exist

CES 2009: downloads no threat to Blu-ray, insists the BDA

Since its inception in 2006, sceptics have believed that Blu-ray is merely an interim format soon to be usurped by digital downloads.

This isn't the case, according to the BDA, who don't see downloadable content as a rival to the format but something that compliments it.

"Blu-ray can co-exist with downloads," explained Andy Parsons of the BDA, speaking at CES. "Downloads are a temporary content, which are best for renting. There's nothing better than buying an actual product. There's no need for one to kill the other."

Downloads do no harm

Also speaking at the BDA conference in Las Vegas was Tom Adams, of Adams Media Research, who felt that downloads wouldn't kill off Blu-ray, predicting that the HD format reign supreme for some time to come.

"Downloads are not harming package delivery," explained Adams. "The growth of gaming may have harmed blu-ray sales, but packaged media going forward will sell around $20 billion a year [in the US], whereas even in five years downloads will only take around $5 billion."